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Climate Action
News article2 March 2016Directorate-General for Climate Action

Europe readies next steps to implement the Paris Agreement

The European Commission today presented an assessment of the implications for the European Union of the new global climate agreement adopted in Paris in December 2015. The assessment looks at the next steps in the process and how the Paris Agreement.

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The European Commission today presented an assessment of the implications for the European Union of the new global climate agreement adopted in Paris in December 2015. The assessment looks at the next steps in the process and how the Paris Agreement will be implemented in the EU. The assessment is accompanied by a proposal for the European Union to sign the Paris Agreement.

Vice-President for the Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič said: "The Paris Agreement sends a strong signal that the world is moving towards a global clean energy transition. We want to maintain the first mover advantage, notably in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Under the Energy Union strategy we want to create an environment that allows investors and businesses to fully seize these new opportunities, and consequently be able to generate new jobs and growth. There are also significant opportunities for our cities. After all, it is in urban areas where an important part of the transition will actually happen. We will speed up our work in this field."

EU Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete said: "We have the deal. Now we need to make it real. For the EU, this means completing the 2030 climate and energy legislation without delay, signing and ratifying the Agreement as soon as possible, and continuing our leadership in the global transition to a low-carbon future. Through our climate diplomacy, the EU will push to keep climate change at the top of the international political agenda. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but as we did in Paris, we will persevere and succeed."

The immediate next step is the signature of the Paris Agreement. The Agreement will open for signatures on 22 April 2016 in New York, and enter into force when at least 55 Parties representing at least 55% of global emissions have ratified. Moving forward, the EU will need to be prepared to participate fully in the international processes foreseen under the Paris Agreement, including the periodic "global stocktakes" designed to progressively review ambition levels and progress made. The EU will also need to continue to deliver its fair share on climate finance.

During the next 12 months, the Commission will present the key remaining legislative proposals to implement the 2030 climate and energy framework. This includes proposals for an Effort-Sharing Decision for sectors not covered by the EU emissions trading system and on land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) as well as legislation to set up a reliable and transparent governance mechanism for the post-2020 period. The Commission will also present the necessary policy proposals to adapt the EU's regulatory framework in order to put energy efficiency first and to foster EU's role as a world leader in the field of renewable energy.

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Publication date
2 March 2016
Author
Directorate-General for Climate Action